Rick Anderson
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Lusby, MD
The shoes rotate with the drum and "WEDGE" themselves into the drum to increase brake force, thus it requires less pedal force to get the same amount of braking force. Thats why there is different pressure differential valve/combo valves for rear drum or disc brakes. Also why, in the old days, big cars came with 4 wheel drum brakes and NO power booster, they were fully manual brakes and weighed 4000 lbs and you could still stop easily. Try stooping a 2500 lb, disc brake car with NO power boost, its a work out.
So, if you moving forward, and the anchor (the big solid strong post that the shoe butts up against) is at the top of the drum. Then the rear shoe is the one Wedging into the Drum the most with the most force. Thus, the shoe with the bigger lining should go at the rear. If you hit the brakes while going in reverse, then the shoes swing the other way and that smaller lining front shoe does most of the braking force.
Thats also how your self-adjusters work. The more wear on the shoes, the greater the gap between them and the drum, and the more the shoes swing with the drum when you apply the brakes in opposite directions of motion. The greater the swing of the shoes, the more of a tug by the cable that moves the little star wheel to adjust the drums. Thats why you have slam on your brakes while going in reverse to activate the self-adjusters. You have to apply the brakes again in forward motion to swing the shoes back, so you can repeat it again, if needed.
So, if you moving forward, and the anchor (the big solid strong post that the shoe butts up against) is at the top of the drum. Then the rear shoe is the one Wedging into the Drum the most with the most force. Thus, the shoe with the bigger lining should go at the rear. If you hit the brakes while going in reverse, then the shoes swing the other way and that smaller lining front shoe does most of the braking force.
Thats also how your self-adjusters work. The more wear on the shoes, the greater the gap between them and the drum, and the more the shoes swing with the drum when you apply the brakes in opposite directions of motion. The greater the swing of the shoes, the more of a tug by the cable that moves the little star wheel to adjust the drums. Thats why you have slam on your brakes while going in reverse to activate the self-adjusters. You have to apply the brakes again in forward motion to swing the shoes back, so you can repeat it again, if needed.
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